Can US Seize Pakistan’s Nukes?

This policy brief, prepared by Strategic Technology Resources, and published here by Project Pakistan 21, seeks to answer a key question disturbing the Pakistani public opinion in the aftermath of the 2 May 2011 US military operation near Islamabad that eliminated Al-Qaeda terror chief.

The key question is: Can the United States or a non-state actor access and take over Pakistan’s nuclear weapons or destroy them?

After sizing up the capabilities of both the US and any non-state actors, the brief gives a conclusive answer: No.

It says non-state actors are not interested in nuclear weapons nor do they need them.

As for the United States, a look into Washington’s ability to physically attack Pakistani nuclear weapons is the crux of this brief and provides insights never discussed before in public.

This concize report is a must read for nuclear policy professionals, diplomats and media in Pakistan. Moreover, media professionals in the United States and other parts of the world covering Pakistan will benefit from this report because it tackles details that US officials and American media reports often neglect or omit.